On January 17, 2018, Columbia County Sheriff's Office Investigators arrested 48 year old Troy James Queen of Scappoose on charges of Kidnapping I, Coercion, Menacing, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Assault IV and Interfering with Making a Report and Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine. Bail is currently set at $206,250.

On January 8, 2018, Columbia County Sheriff's Office Deputies responded to Trinna Overlund's residence and conducted an investigation into a situation that occurred on 01/07/18. Trinna Overlund of Clatskanie stated she had met, Troy James Queen, on an online dating system and had met him in person several times over about a 1 month period. Overlund agreed to meet Queen in Garibaldi. Overlund reported on the way home, Queen allegedly pulled a gun on her, fired a shot into the air before threatening her with the firearm and striking her in the face.

Deputies enlisted the help of Columbia County Sheriff's Office Detectives and were able to obtain evidence that supported Overlund's claims. When Investigators caught up to Queen in Scappoose, they seized his car and took Queen into custody. Investigators later wrote a search warrant to search the vehicle. In the car, Investigators located a firearm, cell phone and methamphetamine.

Domestic Violence Suspect Arraigned for Attempted Murder

Thursday, 18 January 2018 19:12

A suspect charged with assaulting his spouse with hot frying oil and also with Attempted Murder of his minor child was arraigned yesterday on multiple counts of domestic violence, according to Columbia County Sheriff investigators.

Deputies responded to the 19000 block of Swedetown Rd in the Clatskanie area after a report of domestic violence from a domestic violence advocate late Tuesday evening. Deputies received the call at 8:22 p.m., and responded to find the suspect gone and injuries to the victim spouse and the couple's 7-month-old son. The female victim showed signs of having her hands forced into hot frying oil, and the child showed signs of having been strangled.

Deputies began searching for the suspect, locating him just after midnight Wednesday morning at the suspect's place of employment on Old Portland Rd. in St. Helens. He was taken into custody without incident. St. Helens Police assisted deputies in locating and arresting the suspect, Jeremiah D. Crothers, 34, Clatskanie.

Crothers was arraigned in court Wednesday morning on the following charges: Attempted Murder, Strangulation, Assault Second Degree, Assault 3rd Degree, Assault Fourth Degree (2 counts), Coercion and Attempted Assault Fourth Degree. He remains in custody with bail set at $217,750.

"The allegations in support of this arrest are alarming," said Sheriff Jeff Dickerson. "Domestic Violence is a scourge that our deputies frequently encounter. Fortunately, we were able to find the suspect in a timely manner and put a stop to the violence, and give this mom and child a chance to survive."

Last Updated on Monday, 22 January 2018 17:37

December sting produces stolen collectibles; Six people charged

Monday, 08 January 2018 16:53

On December 8, 2017, Columbia County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a reported burglary on Laurelwood Rd in Rainier, OR, in which, the victim reported that his home had been burglarized. Weeks later, a pawn shop query developed leads that led investigators to suspects in the burglary and a sting operation in which deputies arrested the suspects and recovered many stolen items.

The case came together after the original call came in when no deputies were on duty, and the call out procedure between Dispatch and deputies failed to work properly. Deputies responded later that day to take the burglary and theft report from the victim, Terry Wyle, 61, South Beach, Ore. Then, on December 27, 2017, a pawn shop in Longview, WA notified the Sheriff's Office of some suspicious items that had been pawned. A CCSO Detective responded to the pawn shop and identified one suspect from pawn shop records.

Through subsequent investigation, investigators located additional stolen items for sale some social media sites, and On January 2, 2018 conducted a sting operation in Rainier. David Glenn Barker, 33, Rainier and Daniel Fredrick Gomez, 43, Rainier were taken into custody as a result of this buy-bust operation. Investigators also seized a truck that had been used in the burglary and that also contained additional stolen property.

Detectives subsequently executed a search warrant on Gomez’s house located in the 73000 block of Lindberg Road in Rainier on January 2. That house had previously been part of a months-long narcotics investigation by the Columbia Enforcement Narcotics Team (CENT).. Located during the execution of the January 2 search warrant was over $10,000 worth of stolen collectible memorabilia that belonged to Wylie. Deputies also seized a car that contained additional stolen items. Arrested at the scene of the search warrant was Desiree Kristine Kauffman, 27, Rainier and Vanessa Jeanette Zamora, 33, Rainier. A 3 year old juvenile was also placed into the custody of DHS – Child Welfare.

An additional search warrant was written to access the items located inside of the car seized at Gomez’s house and an additional $3000 - $4000 worth of stolen items were recovered from the vehicle. The investigation is ongoing, and we expect to recover additional stolen items.

Investigators also identified two additional suspects in the case: Rebecca Lynn Wynn, 30, Rainier and Bruce Dylan Arquette, 22, Rainier. Arquette and Wynn were arrested December 28 following a Columbia Enforcement Narcotics Team (CENT) investigation and charged with drug delivery offenses. Subsequent investigation developed the two as being linked to this burglary/theft case, as well. A total of 6 people have been arrested as a result of this investigation, and they are as follows:

Vanessa Jeanette Zamora – Theft I, Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance and Endangering the Welfare of a Minor

Rebecca Lynn Wynn –Theft I (2 counts)

Desiree Kristine Kauffman – Theft I, Endangering the Welfare of a Minor and a Felony Fugitive Warrant out of Washington State

Bruce Dylan Arquette – Theft I.

Deputies Nab Car Thief In Clatskanie

Thursday, 28 December 2017 18:53

On December 26, 2017 at about 0911 am, Columbia County Deputies responded to a report of a stolen 2008 Red Toyota Tacoma from Big Guys Restaurant in Clatskanie, OR. The stolen vehicle contained a rifle with ammunition in the back seat. Responding Deputies located the truck a short time later in Rainer, OR, but lost it after the driver sped off and temporarily eluded capture. Oregon State Police, Rainier Police Department and Columbia County Sheriff’s Deputies were enroute to search for the truck when Oregon State Police located the empty, stolen truck parked on W. 4th street near W. F street in Rainier, Oregon. Deputies along with help from the Oregon State Police and Rainier Police Departments searched the area but was unable to immediately locate the suspect.

A short time later, Columbia County Sheriff’s Deputies were able to obtain a suspect description from a security camera of a local business in Clatskanie, OR. Deputies were able to use this description to learn the suspect may have taken CC Rider from Rainier back to Clatskanie. The suspect, later identified as Jason Harold Emanuel, was located at the Safeway store in Clatskanie, OR at about 1143 am. Columbia County Sheriff’s Deputies, along with Oregon State Police, took Emanuel into custody on the charges of Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle, Unlawful Use of a Motor Vehicle and Theft I. Jason Harold Emanuel was lodged in the Columbia County Jail.

The Columbia Enforcement Narcotics Team (CENT) this week concluded its investigation into a illicit drug-trafficking operation in the Rainier area that began in October and ended in indictments last Thursday. In all, investigators seized more than 3-1/2 pounds of controlled substances and $17,300 in cash, along with guns, scales, packaging and drug records.

The case began in October when CENT investigators supported by Sheriff's Office Enforcement Deputies executed a search warrant in the 73000 block of Lindberg Rd. in the Rainier area. Two ounces of heroin and 500 grams (more than a pound) of methamphetamine were found and seized at that location along with $1,300 in cash, three long guns and four handguns.

Subsequent investigation led to a Sheriff's Office traffic stop of Rodolpho Santiago-Ferrer, 30, Longview, Wash. on November 2, 2017 near the upper viewpoint on Highway 30 west of Rainier. During the traffic stop, a search of the vehicle netted another 500 grams of methamphetamine were seized. With the assistance of the Cowlitz County Drug Task Force, investigators conducted a consent search of a residence in Longview, Wash., where they recovered another 500 grams of methamphetamine, 8 ounces of heroin, $16,000 in U.S. Currency, and scales, drug records and packaging materials.

In all the investigation led to the indictment of two additional suspects: Rebecca Wynn, 30 and Bruce Arquett 22, both of Rainier, they and Santiago-Ferrer face charges of Possession and Delivery of Controlled Substances, pending further court action.